Earthmover



Feb. 14, 1967 H. w. RocKwELL l EARTHMOVER V2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed March6, 1954 Feb. 14, 1967 H. w. RocKwELl.

EARTHMOVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1964 Patented Feb. 14, 19673,303,587 EARTHMOVER Harvey W. Rockwell, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor toAllis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee,

Wis.

Filed Mar. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 349,962 9 Claims. (Cl. 37-8) This inventionrelates to an improved ejection mechanism 'for an earthmover .andparticularly to an ejection mechanism in the form of a retractablebottom. This invention also relates to the elevating, self-loading typescraper.

The elevating, self-loading motor scraper has been used successfully inmoving sand, loose earth or other fine materials. Although materials ofthis type are easily ejected from the scraper bowl, an ejection problemexists lfor this type of machine because of the elevating mechanismbeing positioned in the front of the scraper there-by precluding frontejection. Previous designs have used a partial bottom opening incombination with a pushout type ejector. Such designs are obviouslylirnited to free owing materials of small particle size. To provide anejection system capable of handl'ng a wider range of materials, I havedevised a retractable bottom and strikeoff mechanism which provides fullbottom opening.

It is an object o-f this invention to provide an ejection mechanism foran earthmover bowl which provldes full bottom opening.v

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combined strikeoiedge and retractable bottom mechanism.

It is a further object of this invention to prov'de an improved ejectionmechanism for an elevating, self-loading scraper which permitsrelatively long bowl cnstuction with full bottom opening duringejection.

In designing my full bottom opening type ej`ction mechanism for anelevating type scraper, of the type having an endless conveyer at itsforward end, I found it desirable to position a pair of hydraulic j-acksfor actuating the ejection mechanism, adjacent the inner sides of thebowl side walls. In order to prevent material from packing on theunderside of these jacks I provide means at each side of the elevatingmechanism to move the material passing into the Ibowl toward the centerof the bowl.

Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide meanson the elevating mechanism of the m-otor scraper for urging theexcavated material be'ng loaded toward the longitudinal center of thescraper bowl.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in conjunction with thedrawings in wh'ch:

FIG. 1 is a side View of an earthmover incorporating my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view taken along the lines II--ll of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the earthmover shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view partially in section showing the bottom andstrikeof mechanism in an open or ejecting position.

Referring to FIG, 1, -a front wheeled draft frame 11 is pivotallyconnected on a transverse axis 12 to a rear wheeled bowl frame 13 forrelative vertical swinging movement under the control of power means inthe form of a pair of double acting hydraulic jacks 14, only one ofwhich is illustrated.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the bowl or bowl frame 13 includes a pair oflaterally spaced side walls 16, 17 and a transversely extendingexcavating blade structure 19 rigidly secured at its opposite lateralends to the side walls 16, 17. A cutting edge 21 is replaceably securedto the exacavating blade structure 19.

In order to provide a full bottom opening, I provide a bottom mechanismwhich includes a front section 26 and a rear section 27. The forwardsection 26 is carried by front and rear hinges 28, 29, the latter ofwhich pivotally interconnects the rear end of the front section 26 tothe forward end of the rear section on a transverse pivot axis. Thehinge 28 pivotally interconnects a transverse strikeoi structure 31 on atransverse pivot axis. Carriages 81, 82 are secured as by welding toopposite ends of the strikeoff structure 31. The carri-ages 81, 82rotatably carry rollers 36, 37, respectively, which in turn are carriedby tracks 32, 33 rigidly secured to the side walls 16, 17.

The rear bottom section 27 includes a bottom wall 38 and a pair ofupstanding legs 39, 40. The legs are pivotally connected to the sidewalls 16, 17 on a transverse pivot axis 41 and the rear bottom section27 is actuated between closed and open positions by a pair of hydraulicjacks 42, 43. The rod end of jack 42 is pivotally connected to an arm 44which forms an extension of leg 39. Jack 43 is similarly connected toleg 40. When the jacks 42, 43 are contracted, the bottom and strikeotfstructure will move to the full open position shown in FIG. 4 whereinall the material within the bowl will easi-ly be dumped. This positionmay also be referred to as an ejection or dumping position. As the jacks42, 43 are contracted, the strikeotf blade 46 will move rearwardly in astraight line and serve to evenly spread the material being dumped. Ifthe bowl is adjusted by jacks 14 to place the tracks 32, 33 parallel tothe ground, the material being dumped will Ibe spread on the ground at auniform thickness.

A pair of guards 51, 52 are provided above the jacks 42, 43 to protectthem from excavated material. Augers 54, 56 which are secured to idlersprockets 57, 58 move the excavated material inwardly toward thelongitudinal center of the bowl thereby preventing packing beneath thejacks 42, 43. The conveyer mechanism frame 59 is pivoted at its upperend on a transverse axis 61 to brackets 63, 64 extending forwardly fromconveyer supports 62, 65, which in turn are rigidly secured to the sidewalls 16, 17 of the bowl. The underside of the conveyer 66 movesupwardly during operation whereby the slats 67 move the material up theramp portion 83 of the excavating blade structure 19. The slats 67 aresecured to -a pair of -link type chains 68, 69 carried on drivingsprockets 71, 82 and idler wheels in the form of sprockets 57, 58.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided anovel bottom opening mechanism and strikeoff structure which -achieves afull bottom opening and complete material ejection. This dumpingmechanism is particularly adapted to use in relatively long scraperbowls and particularly lends itself to use in an elevating, self-loadingtype scraper.

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are dened as follows:

1. An earthmover comprising:

an open bottom bowl including a pair of laterally spaced vertical sidewalls,

a transversely extending excavating blade structure secured at itslateral-ly opposite ends to the Ilower forward portions of said sidewalls, respectively, and

a transversely extending rear wall interconnecting the rear ends of saidside walls,

a rear bottom section having a bottom wall extending transverselybetween the lower portion Iof said side walls and a pair yof upstandinglegs secured to sad bottom wall and disposed adjacent the inner side ofsaid side walls means pivotally connecting said legs to said side wallson a iirst transverse pivot axis spaced from said bottom wall,

power means between said bowl and said rear bottom section for pivotingthe latter between bottom closed and bottom open positions,

a front bottom section extending transversely between said lowerportions of said side walls,

means pivotally connecting the rear end of said front Ibottom section tothe forward end of said bottom Wa-ll on a second transverse pivot axis,

a longitudinally extending supporting track adjacent the bottom of eachof said side wal-ls, said tracks lbeing parallel to one another andextending between said excavating blade struct-ure and said rear wall,

a transversely extending strikeofl' structure at the rear of saidexcavating blade structure and carried by said tracks for longitudinalreciprocating movement, and

means pivotally connecting the forward end of said front section to saidstrikeoi'r structureon a third Vtransverse axis, said axes beingparallel to one another.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and further comprising a pair ofrollers pivotally mounted on each of the laterally opposite ends of saidstrikeoif structure in rolling vertical load carrying contact with saidtracks, respectively. Y

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said power means comprisea pair of hydraulic jacks operatively interconnecting said walls andsaid legs, respectively. V

4. The structure Vset forth in claim 3 and further comprising a conveyermechanism comprising lan inclined frame pivotally secured at its upperrear to said bowl on a transverse axis,

a pair 0f laterally spaced rotary supporting Wheels on the lower forwardend of said frame, n

a slat type endless conveyer carried on said wheels,

an auger secured for rotation in unison with each of said wheels andextending axial-ly outwardly therefrom laterally beyond said conveyerand means for driving said conveyer.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4 wherein said wheels are sprocketsand said conveyer includes a pair of link type chains meshing with saidsprockets.

6 An earthm-over comprising:

a wheeled draft frame,

a wheeled bowl frame connected to said draft frame for vertical swingingmovement having a pair of laterally spaced vertcal side wal-ls and atransversely extending excavating blade structure rigidly secured at itsopposite ends to the lower forward portions of said side walls,respectively, and

a bottom closure and dumping structure including a rear bottom sectionpivotally secured to said side walls on a first transverse axis spacedabove the bottom -of said walls, v

power -means for pivoting said rear bottom secsecion about said lirstaxis between closed and dumping positions,

a front bottom section having its rear end pivotally connected to theforward end of said rear bottom section on a Vsecond transverse axis,

longitudinally extending track means on said side walls, and

a transverse strikeolf structure at the rear of said excavating bladestructure pivotally connected to the forward end of said front bottomsection on a third transverse axis and reciprocally carried at itstransversely opposite ends in said track means.

7. The structure Vset forth in claim 6 wherein said strikeol structureincludes a pair of rollers at each of its opposite ends in vertical loadcarrying relation to said track means, respectively.

8. The structure set forth in claim 7 wherein said track means arechannel members secured t-o the outer sides 0f said side Walls,respectively.

9. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein said bow-l frame includesan upstanding rear wall and said power means includes a pair ofhydraulic jacks connected to said side walls, respectively, and to saidrear bottom section. t

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,988,832 6/1961Hancock et al. 37-129 3,030,080 4/1962 Hise et al. .37-8 X 3,057,09010/1962 Mazzarins 37-126 3,108,388 10/1963 Johnson 37-8 X ABRAHAM G.STONE, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM A. SMITH III, Examiner.

6. AN EARTHMOVER COMPRISING: A WHEELED DRAFT FRAME, A WHEELED BOWL FRAMECONNECTED TO SAID DRAFT FRAME FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT HAVING APAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED VERTICAL SIDE WALLS AND A TRANSVESELY EXTENDINGEXCAVATING BLADE STRUCTURE RIGIDLY SECURED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO THELOWER FORWARD PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WALLS, RESPECTIVELY, AND A BOTTOMCLOSURE AND DUMPING STRUCTURE INCLUDING A REAR BOTTOM SECTION PIVOTALLYSECURED TO SAID SIDE WALLS ON A FIRST TRANSVERSE AXIS SPACED ABOVE THEBOTTOM OF SAID WALLS, POWER MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID REAR BOTTOMSECSECION ABOUT SAID FIRST AXIS BETWEEN CLOSED AND DUMPING POSITIONS, AFRONT BOTTOM SECTION HAVING ITS REAR END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THEFORWARD END OF SAID REAR BOTTOM SECTION ON A SECOND TRANSVERSE AXIS,LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRACK MEANS ON SAID SIDE WALLS, AND ATRANSVERSE STRIKEOFF STRUCTURE AT THE REAR OF SAID EXCAVATING BLADESTRUCTURE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRONT BOTTOMSECTION ON A THIRD TRANSVERSE AXIS AND RECIPROCALLY CARRIED AT ITSTRANSVERSELY OPPOSITE ENDS IN SAID TRACK MEANS.